Packaging machine



w. w. slBsoN, JR., vs-:T A| 21,366,811

PACKAGING MACHINE Jan.y 9. 1945.

'17 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 24, 1942 Jan. 9, 1945.

W. W. SIBSON, JR., ET AL PACKAGING MACHINE F'iled June 24, 1942 17Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 9, 1945.

W. W. SIBSON, JR., ET AL.

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1942 17 Sheets-Sheet I5 Jan- 9, w45- W.w. slBsoN, JR., ET AL 2,366,831

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1942 I 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan. 9, 1945w. w. slBsoN, VJR., ET AL 2,365,811v

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1942 17 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. 9, 1945- w.w. slBsoN, JR.'Y ET Al. 2,356,811

Filed June 24, 1942 IPL' Jan- 99 1945- w. w. slBsoN, JR., ET AL2,366,811

' PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1942 17 Sheets-Sheet 7 Jan- 9, 1945wfw. slBsoN, JR., ET Al. 2,366,811

PACKAGING MACHINE l Fliled June 24, 1942 1'7 SheetS-Sheet 8 Jan- 9v1945. w. w. SIBSON, JR., ET Al. 2,366,811

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1942 17 sheets-sheet 9 Jan, 9, 1945. w.w. slBsoN, JR., ET AL 2,366,811

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1942 17 Sheets-Sheet l0 Jan. 9, 1945.w. w. slBsoN, JR., ET AL 2,336,811

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1942 17 Sheets-Sheet l1\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\.\\\\\\\\\\Y!\\\\\\\\\\lf Jon J1.

Jan 9, 1945 w. w. slBsoN, JR., ET AL 2,366,811

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1942 17 Sheets-Sheet 12 2/ 1Fllllrlilllllll l-l 5 w. w. slBsoN, JR., ET A1. 2,366,811

PACKAGING MACHINE Jan. 9,. 1945.

Filed June 24, 1942 17 Sheets-shew:I 13

Jan. 9, 1945- w. w. slBsoN, JR., ET Al. 2,366,811

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 24. 1942 l'TSheets-Sheel 14 Jan. 9. 1945'.

W. W. SIBSON, JR., ET AL PACKAGIYNG MACHINE 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 15 FiledJune 24, 1942 Jan. 9, 1945.

W. W. SIBSON, JR., ET AL PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1942 1'7Sheets-Sheet 16 Jan 9, 1945 w. w. slBsoN, JR., ET AL 2,365,811

PACKAGING MACHINE 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 17 Filed June 24. 1942 PatentedJan.9, 1945 I'Acimc'mc.l MACHINE Walter W. Sibson, Jr., and Harold H.Belcher,

Philadelphia, Pa.,

assignors' to 'Proctor &

Schwartz, Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication June 24, 1942, Serial No. 448,306

38 Claims.

This invention relates to packaging apparatus, andv particularly to afully automatic` machine for filling containers, which are primarilyclosed at one end, to a definite axial dimension, Within fprescribedtolerances with respect to the closed end of the container.

More especially, they present invention relates to a pa-ckage fillingmachine wherein the contents of each container is progressivelyincreased by measured increments, intermittently deposited in thecontainer; and wherein each increment is compacted in the containerbefore the next ihcrement is-admitted, whereby the complete compositecontents of the containerI will be of substantially uniform densitythroughout the aforesaid predetermined axial-dimensio`n thereof.

Specifically, the present invention relates to aY l* machine for fillingthe cylinders or casings of incendiary bombs, with. divided orgranulated particles of compactable materials, further description rofwhich would appear to be unnecessary for a clear understanding of thepreseit invention.

The present invention further relates to safety apparatus for detectingirregularities in the intended operations, or failures of the variouscomponent units of the machine; and to apparatus A for controllingsubsequent operations of the machine in the event of failure orirregular operation of any one or more of said units.

Another feature ofthe present invention re-A sides in providingapparatus for detecting failure on the part of the operator toremove alled package from the machine and for detecting failure on the pari; ofthe operator to have placed an empty package in the machine at theinitial station 'where the lled packages are normally removed from and"empty packages installed in the carriers provided for supporting thepackages individually in the machine, prior to the beginning of thelilling cycle for each package;

the provision of apparatus for detecting the presence of any substantialbody of matter in a presumably empty package which has been installedparatus for controlling the operation of the ma:

. chine to prevent initial operation at the beginning of a new fillingcycleA whenever any ofthe aforesaid irregularities occur, and whenevercertain irregularity occurs in the operation of various units of themachine during the lling or compacting operations of the ma-chines.

The construction and operation of the machine, as a Whole, and thecomponent units thereof, in detail, will be fully disclosed hereinafter,

in a carrier for fllling; and the provision of ap- 145 references beinghad to the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a partial sectional elevation of the machine as taken on theline I-I, Fig. 3;

FigZ is a sectional plan view taken on the linel Fig. 3 is a sectionalplan view taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 5 5, Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view taken on the line '6 6, Fig. 71;

Fig. 7 is a sectional planv view taken on the line 1 1. Fig. l;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the f Fig. 9 is apverticalsectional view taken on the Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken'on the line Ill-I0, Fig. 2, through the first station lwhere fullcontainers are removed from the carriers andempty containers are placedin the carriers;-

Fig. 11 is a'vextical sectional view taken on the line lI-I l, Fig. 10:

Fig. 12 is a sectional plan 'view taken on the Fig. 13 is a sectionalplan view taken line I3l3, Fig. 10;

Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line I4-Il,Fig. 10;

. Fig. 15 is a partial vertical sectional view taken on the line I5-l5,Fig; 4, through the second station where inspection of the carriersismade and with other parts 0f .the machine omitted for the sake ofclarity;

Fig. 16 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line |6-I6, Fig. 3,through the third station, where the first increment of the contents4 of'each container is placed therein;

Fig. 17 is a side elevation of the filling apparatus shown in Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is an end view 'of the filling apparatus shown in Fig. 16;

Fig. 19 is a sectional View taken on the line |9--|9,Fig.118;

Fig. 20 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 2li- 20, Fig.- 7,through the station where the last increment of the contents of eachcontainer is placed therein; Y

Fig. 21 is a sectional plan view taken on the unen-Juneau;

on the -ils- 46, Fig. 45.

Fig. 22 is a sectional` plan line 22-22, Fig. 20; y

Fig. 23 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 23-23, AFig..4,through the station where the irst increment is 'pressed in thecontainer; Figs. 24, 25 and 26 illustrate the first, second view takenon the Aand third increments being pressed in the container;

Fig. 32 illustrates the fifth increment as being l pressed in thecontainer;

Figs. 33 and 34 are respectively a sectional plan view and sectionalelevation illustrating the mechanism for forming and electing the fifthincrement from the apparatus shown in Figs. to 22 inclusive;

Fig. 35 is a piping diagram of the cylinders, valves etc. forcontrolling the various operations ofthe machine in proper sequence;

Figs. 36 .to 41 inclusive illustrate the various valves in section; l

Fig. 42 is a sectional elevation of a detail of .the invention, taken onthe line 42-42, Fig. 5;

Fig. 43 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 43-43, Fig. 42;

Fig. 44 is a sectional elevation of another detail of the invention,taken on the Buell-4I, Fig. '7;

Fig. 45 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 45-45, Fig. 3; and

Fig. 46 is a sectional elevation taken on the line The machine comprisesa, rigid frameworkr which, in the present instance, includes four hori.zontal, vertically spaced deck plates or platforms I, 2, 3 and 4respectively. These four decks are maintained in xed' vertically spacedrelation to i each other by a seriesof standards or uprights 5, 5, whichare. spaced apart angularly about a common vertical axis located at thegeometric centers of the several decks ofthe machine.

Coaxially aligned and coextensive with a common vertical axis of themachine, and fixedly supported in bearings 6, 6 carried by the severalhorizontal decks I, 2,' 3 and! is the main shaft 'l of the machine, onwhich is rotatably mounted, between the bottom deck l and the next.upper deck 2, a package supporting drum 8.

The drum 8,'in the present instance, is of polygonal cross-section, inplan, and securedto the perimeter of the drum 8, in equal angularlyspaced relation to eachother, is a plurality of package carriers I 0,twelve,` in number in the present instance (see Fig. 2)

The drum 8' and its twelve package carriers l0 il are intermittentlyrotated, as a unit, about the stations are alphabetically designated A,B, C, D, E, F, G, H,I, J,Kand L.

As a matter of general description, an empty .package Z is placed in,and locked against acci-n dental displacement from, one of the carriers.Ill

4,at the intitial station A (see Figs.. 2 and 12),

l5. ment as being prepared for entrance into the conasocian after which,assuming that all conditions hereinafter described are satisfled, thedrum I is rotated to the extent of 30 degrees and indexes the emptycontainer Z at station B (see Figs. 2. 4 and 15).

Station B is a gauging or detecting station where inspection ismechanically made to detect whether or not there is a container in placein the carrier l0, andwhether or not there is any matter of any kind inthe container. If an empty container Z is properly installed in thecarrier III, which is located at station B, the drum 8 is then rotatedanother 30- degrees and places the still empty container in, position atstation C. (see Figs. 2, 3 and 16), to receive the first increment ofthe material with which the container is to be filled.

At station C, the first increment Y1 (see Fig. 23) of the contents ofthe package is deposited in the empty container Z by a suitable fillingor dispensing unit X1 (see Figs. 1'6, 17,18 and 19). After the firstincrement Y1 has been deposited in the container Z, at station C,thedrum B-is rotated another 30 degrees and places the par-l tiallynlled container Zin the 'first pressing position at station D (see Figs.2, 3 and 23).

At station D, the initial increment Y1 is compacted to uniform densityin the bottom of the container Z (see Fig. 24), by a verticallyreciprocal ram R1. after which the container Z is moved to station E(see Figs. 2', 3 and 16).

At station E, the second increment Y2 is deposited in the container Z,on top ofthe previously compacted initial increment Y1, by a fillingunit X2, after which, by a further 30 'degree movement of the drum 8,the container is placed in the second press position at station F (seeFigs. 2,3 and 25) At station F, the second increment Y2 is compacted touniform density on top of and in' firm contact with the upper endofvtheinitial increment Y1 (see Fig. 25), by a ram R11, after which thecontainer Z is moved to station G (see Figs;

2,3and16). l j

At station G, a third-increment Y3 is deposited in the container Z, ontop of the compacted second increment Y*,'by a feeding orfllling unitX3. A ,further 30 degree movement of the drum 8 brings the containerZinto position VH (see Figs. 2, 3 and 26), for compacting of the looselydeposited increment Y:1 to uniform density, on top of and in firmcontact with the second increment Y2, by a ram R3.

At the end of another 30 degree movement of the drum 8, the container Zcomes to rest in position at station I see Figs. 2, 3 and 16) to receive a fourth increment Y4 from a feeding unit X4. The looselydeposited increment Y4 (see Fig. 27 is subsequently compacted tovuniform density against the increment Y:l by a ram R4, at station J(see Fig. 28).

From station J', the container Z is moved to station K (see Figs. 2, 3,20, 21 and 22) to receive a flfth'increment Y for subsequent compactingagainst increment Y4 at station L (see Fig. 32)

, by vairain R5. r

When the completely filled container Z is ready to leave the iinalpressstation L; the five cony secutively deposited and subsequentiallycompacted increments, Y1 to Y5 inclusive, which collectively constitutethe complete contents Y of the container Z, have been individually andcol- Alectively compressed to a predetermined axial dimension withrespect to the inner bottom surface a of the container Z, with thedensity of the charge Y substantially uniform throughout its bulk. 1 l

The now-full container Z is then moved, by another 30 degree rotation ofthe drum 8, from the 4inal pressing station L to the initial station A,

. carried out for each of the twelve containers supported at any onetime by the twelve carriers i0, in succession, as a result of which, thevarious containers are undergoing diierent stages of the lling andcompacting cycle simultaneously.`

The drum 8 is moved intermittently, in steps of 30 degrees each, tobring each carrier I8 into vertical alignment with each of the stationsA to L consecutively, by a gear I I (see Figs. 6 and 8) which is rigidlysecured to the underside .of the drum 8, and which meshes with? pinionI2. The pinion I2 is secured to the upper end of a vertical shaft I3,which is rotatably mounted in bearings I', Ill carried by the deck I andbase structure I5 underlying the deck I. f

Secured to the lower endof the shaft I3 is a ratchet wheel I8, which isadapted to be engaged 30 by,a pawl I1 pivotally mounted on one end of alever I8. The lever I8 is loosely mounted on the lower end of the shaftI3 and its second end is pivotally connected to the outer end of lapiston rod I9. The piston rod I9 is operated by a piston (not shown)adapted for reciprocation in a cylinder 29.

One end of the cylinder is pivotally connected at 2l to the basestructure I5. Motivating uuid, admitted through a exime conduit P5,

l draws the extended piston rod I9 into cylinder 28 posite direction andcauses the pawl Il to move idly around the ratchet wheel I6. while thedrum 8 remains stationary.

In order to eiect absolute axial alignment between each carrier I0 andthe axis of the station at which it is positioned, the drum 8 isprovided with a plurality of downwardly prjecting indexing studs 25, seeFigs. 6, 8 and 9.

Diametricallyopposite indexing studs 25 are adapted to be respectivelyengaged and held between pairs of indexing rollers 21, 2 1, .which arecarried on arms 28,28. The indexing arms 28, 28 are respectively securedto the upper ends of vertical indexing shafts 29, 29, which arerotatably mounted in bearings 30, 30 carried by the deck I andfoundation structure I5.

. 0n the lower ends of the shafts 29, 29 are levers 3I, 3|. The -outerend of each lever3l is connected to one end of a resilient link 32, theopposite end of which is slidably mounted in a bracket 33 secured to thefoundation structurev I5. On each link 32 is an adjustable collar 34,between which and the bracket 33 is confined a compression spring 35,encircling the link rod 32. The springs 35 tend at all times to rock theshafts 29 and levers 28 in a manner to cause the indexing rollers 21, 21to engage a.v diametrically opposite pair of the indexing' pins 25, 25,and thereby align the carriers I0 with the axes of the stations A to Linclusive. The indexing mechanism also serves to retain the drum 8 inV afixed position during the idle return movement of the drumactuatingpiston rod I9. Y

Each ofthe package carriers II) (see Figs. 10 to 14 inc1usive) comprisesa :frame 40 of substantially U-shaped cross section arranged vertically,with the open side of the frame facing radially outward from the axis ofthe drum 8.

The upper end of each frame 4l) is pivoted at 4I to one end of asuspension 42, the yopposite end of which is pivoted at 43 to ahorizontal arm'of an L-shaped bracket 44.k A vertical arm 45 of thebracket 44 is adjustably mounted on one of the outer at verticalsurfaces 46 which constitute the perimeter of the polygonal drum 8, andis secured in position thereon by bolts 41. Between the suspension link42 and the horizontal arm of the carrier supporting bracket 44, is acompression spring 48, which, at all times, tends to rock the link 42upwardly and thereby move the carrier I8 upwardly, in the direction ofits longitudinal axis.

The upward movement of the frame 48. is'

limited by adjustable studs 99 which, in the present instance, arecarried by the frame 48 and engage the undersides of the heads 50 of thebolts lil by which the brackets lll are secured to the drum 8.

The arrangementx of the suspension links 42 provides for independentaxial movement of the package carriers parallel to the axis of the drum8 for reasons which vwill more fully hereinafter appear.

The lower en-d of the frame 48, in each instance, is guided in itsvertical movement by a roller 5I which is interposed between the backwall 52 of the frame 40 and the outer at face d6 of the drum 8, saidroller being coni-ined in a cage 53 mounted on the rear wall 52 of theframe 40.

Outward swinging movement of the frame 40, with respect to the drum 8,is prevented by a vertical bar 54, which is secured to the back wall 52of the frame 80 `by vertically spaced bolts 55, 55, and a horizontal bar56 lying inside the back wall 52 of the frame 40, and securedgat itsopposite ends by bolts 51, 51 to the drum 8. The horizontal bar 56 isspaced from the surface 46 of the drum 8 by sleeves 58, which encirclethe bolts 51 and project through the slots 58 formedin the rear wall 52.

Secured in each of the side walls or legs 60, 60

of the U-shaped frame 40 are trunnions 6I, 6I,

which are in axial alignment with eacha other.'

vof the package.

'I'he chuck and funnel element 65 is bored accurately. to fit theoutside diameter of the cylinder a1, las indicated at 66. The upper edge24 of the `cylinder 21 abuts against an annular shoulder 68, formed inthe upper part of the chuck and funnel element 65, and limits the upwardaxial movement of the package within the chuck. The lower end 61 of thechuck 65 is spaced above the

